One day he was there, the next he was gone
by hoOPJO
Summary: When you feel my heat, look into my eyes, it's were my demons hide, it's where my demons hide. Don't get too close, it's dark inside. It's where my demons hide, it's where my demons hide. Percy let's the darkness win. Because one day he was there, the next he was gone. Inspired by: Demons-Imagine dragons.
1. Chapter 1

Percy ran. And ran. And ran. With all his might, he ran.

His feet pounded on the pavement, the soles of his worn sneakers thinning. The clouds seemed to be playing hide and seek with the sun as the day wore on.

Percy had been running for miles. And miles. And miles. With his heart pounding, the miles blurred together.

His breath was even. He didn't pant despite his long journey. He was trained for this kind of thing.

Running.

He stopped abruptly, much to the civilians relief. He stood before the entrance to a building so large and grand, it seemed to put the rest of New York to shame. The towering building stood before Percy in a threatening manner, as if daring him to enter.

He did.

He walked along the long entryway with a heavy heart, remembering past events that took place in that exact room. This was the same room Percy had paced through so many times, watching his saytr friend Grover eat his way through the mahogany furniture.

Percy stood in front of the desk but remained silent. Not like he had the choice to speak. The doorman looked up as Percy ran his golden bell politely. Percy held a hand out. The doorman tilted his head in confusion. Percy scowled in frustration before grabbing a pen from the mans marble desk and his pack of sticky notes from his pocket.

Yes. He kept sticky notes in his pocket. You would too if you couldn't speak. In very neat cursive lettering (something nobody would expect from the 'kelp head.' He actually wasn't as stupid as they thought. He just put up to many walls for them to notice) wrote the following.

_I wish to have the key to the 600th floor please. _

_I must speak to the gods._

_It is urgent. _

The doorman looked at him in confusion.

"What in heavens nam-" but stopped speaking immediately as Percy began to scrawl out another note.

_My father won't be happy if you don't give me the key._

The doorman chuckled. "And who might your father be?"

_Poseidon._

The doorman looked alarmed.

"Percy Jackson?" Percy smiled kindly and nodded. The man smiled back before handing him a small golden key. He slipped it into Percy's hand.

"Have a nice day." Percy nodded back as if to say; _the same to you_.

Percy waited until the hall cleared out before slipping into a deserted elevator. He put the key into a small slot and twisted. He was thrown back against the back the elevator, his eyes wide, a horrified look on his face as the elevator shot up like a bullet.

But soon the elevator came to a halt and spit Percy out of it before going back to floor one. Percy put a hand on a column and tried to catch his breath along with his stomach, which he had left somewhere on floor forty-seven. Percy looked around at the town surrounding him. Large houses pitched themselves at random around the village. Saytr's and nymphs danced in a green field full of wildflowers as the muses played a rather modern tune.

But before too long, Percy was marching up the slim trails of Olympus rather glumly. When he got to a large circular room in the middle of the landscape, he stopped, staring at the solid gold doors that were at least 18 feet tall. Imprints of vines and tropical flowers were imprinted into the metal, wrapping around each other in a beautiful and majestic way. Percy raised his hand to knock, before retracting it. He hesitantly stuck his fist in the air, before lowering it again. He took a deep breath and steeled his nerves before raised a still fist and knocking loudly on the gates of Olympus.

* * *

><p>The gods stared at Percy, absolutley mortified. Outside, the muses stopped their music, the nymphs and saytr's stopped dancing. Horror racked threw the spines of the immortals and swept over the village of Olympus in waves.<p>

They kept replaying his words, like an incantation.

_"Kill me." _

It took two words, just two small words spoken in a small broken voice, to destroy the peace that had laid over the village like a warm, comforting blanket. With those words, it was ripped off them and thrown into oblivion, never to be found again.

Zeus's grip on his throne intensified every second, until his knuckles were completely white. Hestia wasn't surprised, she had felt his loss of warmth, hope, and home long before he began to pound the sidewalks of Manhattan. Still, she was devastated.

Percy closed his eyes, he fists clenching.

"_Please_."

Hades stepped down from his throne in sink with Hestia. They would never be able to issue their thanks for his selflessness. He denied immortality for _them_ to have thrones.

For once, it made the two immortals feel wanted.

"_Please_."

Percy didn't understand the sorrowful looks, or the horror struck silence. He didn't understand _why_ he was still alive. He didn't _want_ to live.

Didn't they get that?

"_Please_."

Hestia burst into tears, sobbing into Hades's chest. The hearth dimmed and the flames lost all the hope they held, just like Hestia herself. Percy cringed. He didn't want to cause chaos and sorrow and mayhem. He just wanted peace in Elysium. Maybe even get rebirth.

Gods know how much he wants to forget his life...

To forget his _pain. _

Percy didn't dare speak again. It took all his might to just speak those five words. He unclenched his hands and pressed one to his throat, blood seeping threw his fingers. Hestia gasped for air as her sobbing intensified. She broke away from Hades and ran to Percy's side, her footsteps echoing in the unusual silence.

"Percy." She whispered, her voice quiet. Her twelve year old form flickered into eighteen and she shot a look to Apollo. He understood immediately. Standing from his throne and striding towards Percy and Hestia, his face became more worried. As he neared them he gasp and stumbled back, glancing terror-struck at Percy's neck wound.

"What happened to you?" He whispered, hand hovering over the deep line covering his throat.

"Who did this?" He whispered, trying hard to asses the damage while Percy fought to be left alone. Hestia gave him a stern look and Percy relented, standing still as Apollo wrapped gauze all around his neck after stitching the scar with an imperial gold thread and needle, dipped in nectar to heal the wound as quick as possible.

Percy's pleading eyes met his, and they had an understanding.

"Please. Don't let them kill you. Don't let go Percy. Fight. Fight them."

Percy's pained eyes stared at the floor.

"Can't. T-too h-h-hard." He couched, blood coming from his mouth.

"Defy fate, Percy. Heal were they wanted to destroy you. Fight. For yourself. For us. For the world. Inspire hope. Give warmth. Heal the others like you. Show them the light." Apollo patted Percy's shoulder before turning, and with a deep breath to hold in tears, sat on his throne.

Only Hestia and Hades understood their conversation.

"Percy," Hestia's voiced cracked, tears slipping onto her cheeks. Her desperation took a hold on Percy's heart. "Please."

Percy looked away from her eyes. They were a pretty Amber color with the light and hope of her flames dancing sadly in them. He wish he could hold light such as it. Save it. Yet, he couldn't. Not now. Not ever. Because he never stopped fighting. And he never could hold the light. Because the darkness was winning. It took him. And now, he was disappearing.

He stared at Zeus and then nodded. Zeus closed his eyes and turned his head away, not bearing to look as he stood. He raised his bolt in the air.

Percy closed his eyes, letting the darkness get him.

He waited for the bolt that would end his life.

That would close his eyes.

Because, that's where his demons hide.

Now, when he dies, when he burns, they burn with him.


	2. Chapter 2

Percy waited for the death that never came. He stared at the bolt, waiting for it to strike.

It never did.

Zeus couldn't make his bolt fly from his hand. He couldn't let the boy die.

Not now. Not ever.

Percy's wide eyes were pleading for death, craving the feeling of the peace it would bring.

"I can't!" Zeus bellowed, collapsing on his throne.

"I can't." He whispered.

Percy's widened in horror.

_'Please!' _they seemed to beg.

Please.

Zeus looked away from the broken orbs of green and stared mournfully at the floor.

Then a question hit him.

"Why?" The king whispered, his blue eyes looking into the green.

"Why?"

They all stared at him, waiting for an answer. Percy knitted his eyebrows in frustration and opened his mouth, but no sound came. He closed his mouth and took out his note pad. The doorman's pen in his hand, his feelings accelerating, he scribbled down his story.

And it took only one sticky note.

_My mother was killed. _

_My step-father was murdered. _

_My friends turned on me._

_They...left me. _

_I have no soul. No spirit. _

_Please: just kill me_.

He walked up to Zeus's throne and held the sticky note up. Zeus extended his hand and took the note. The tiny object looked like a speck of dirt in his massive hand. When he read what Perseus had written, his heart thumped. He looked up surprised when he finished reading, turning urgently to the other gods. He reread the note to them telepathically. Aphrodite gasped and turned to him, tears leaking from her eyes.

Percy bowed his head.

"I will not, and can not, kill you!" Zeus thundered, standing from his throne. The other gods followed suit. They all shrunk into normal human sizes, Aphrodite still bawling, and formed a loose ring around Percy. "Never will you die! Never will you feel the grip of death! You will inspire hope and peace upon havoc and hopelessness!"

What happened next Percy did not know, for the pain he felt seared threw him and seemed to fry his molecules, burning his flesh. He felt himself evaporate and liquify and disintegrate all at once. But he did not howler in pain. Actually, he embraced it, hoping it would kill him.

He was very disappointed when the pain stopped and he still stood in the middle of a loose ring made up of the gods.

"I'm sorry Perseus, so so sorry." Hestia whispered, extending her arm in front of her. A ball of energy gathered in her outstretched palm before blasting Percy.

* * *

><p>When he woke, Percy wasn't sure where he was. The bed he laid on was soft and pearly white. He felt bare and cold, but oddly comforted. He sat up gingerly, his ribs bruised from whatever Hestia threw at him. His eyebrows furrowed and he swung his legs over the side of the bed. He stood, swaying a bit. He walked slowly to a door at the far end of the room. As Percy looked back at the room, he got his first good look at the space.<p>

Several white twin beds lined the two long walls. Bedside tables sat next to each bed, waiting to be used. Bed sheets and pillowcases were leaking out of a hamper. A long line of cabinets lined the wall Percy was at, next to the door, which was basically brass on hinges. A large, deep sink perched in the middle of the cabinets, waiting to be used.

Percy knew instantly it was an infirmary.

He walked down a long corridor, trying to navigate his way through the odd and new surroundings. He knew where he was, just didn't know how the medicine gods palace was designed. It amused Percy how people called him a 'seaweed brain'. He was one of the most intelegent of his kind. He just kept his wiseness to himself.

"You shouldn't be wondering in my palace." A new voice said behind Percy. He didn't flinch. Or wince. He had sensed the gods presence long before he spoke. The new voice was not as carefree and happy as usual. It sounded tired and melancholy. Percy nodded in greeting.

"Follow me, please?" Apollo asked softly. His voice was kind and gentle, as if Percy was fragile porcelain that would crack and shatter at any moment with only the slightest breeze. Percy nodded again.

**_Don't get to close,_**

**_It's dark inside,_**

**_It's where my demons hide,_**

**_Its where my demons hide_**.

* * *

><p>"I refuse!" Artemis yelled across the wooden table. "I will <em>not <em>have a _male_ in my camp!"

"Too late Arty," Apollo chirped, though it didn't have it's usual playful sparkle. "He's already here!"

Percy walked into Apollo's 'War Meeting Room' that the Olympians use to counsel at Apollo's palace for serious or important things while someone important was heeling, or to counsel for war when someone was in the infirmary.

"Ah, Percy, we have had a discussion and have found a place for you to stay until further notice." Zeus smiled pointedly in Artemis's direction before flashing out with a massive boom of thunder, earning a murmured,

_"Drama Queen," _from Poseidon. The sea god straightened and looked at Percy with a reassuring smile,

"Good luck, my son. I know you will need it." Then, he too flashed out. Percy's looked around the room confused.

_Why? _he mouthed. Athena sighed while Artemis growled,

"Because you are staying with myself to 'guard' me and my hunt."

* * *

><p>Percy trudged through New York, head down and hood up. He felt more...powerful, somehow. As though if anything came in his way, he could crush it. Stomp it out. Watch as the life drained from the things eyes. And he was terrified of it.<p>

Percy accidentally bumped into someone, knocking them to the ground. While said person tumbled around like he had hit a stone wall, Percy stood still. The person finally stood angrily, spinning her heal and facing him. Her skin was a creamy color, going perfectly with her caramel hair. Coral five blue highlights were spread out on the right side of her hair, which framed her fierce blue eyes that belonged to a heart shaped face.

She wore combat boots and a leather jacket, a white tank top and a pair of jeans to finish of the look. She had an accusing finger pointed at his chest.

"At least apologize! That hurt! What do you eat for breakfast, NAILS!?" She screeched. She was attracting to much attention. Monsters where already on his tail, if she caused any more commotion, he was dead. He put a finger to his lips and pulled her into a nearby ally way. When they stopped walking, he pulled down his collar, showing the red line. He did '_I'm Sorry_' in sign language **(He he, Athena Blessing!)** and waited for her reaction.

* * *

><p>Sadie had been innocently walking into Manhattan even after being given a direct order not to.<p>

Bad idea.

She full on ran into a dude, which felt like running into a brick wall, and tumbled backwards. When she finally stood again, she scolded him like no tomorrow. When she finally stood back and tapped her foot impatiently and waited for an 'I'm so sorry, ma'am!' which never came. Then he had the _nerve _to drag _her _into an alley.

She watched as he did a sign in sign language and show the line on his neck. She made an 'O' face then proceeded her scolding.

* * *

><p>When Percy finally managed to escape Crazy Lady's scolding, he headed straight for Central Park, where Artemis said her hunt would be waiting for him. He was just as reluctant to go with her as she didn't want him to come. It made Percy sigh.<p>

_"Worthless."_

_"Inhuman."_

_"DESPICABLE!"_

They scream. And they scream, and they never _leave_. They stay and haunt. They stay and torture. They stay and run across your mind as if it were the Great Plains.

_Your demons_


End file.
